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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28490112">Hands Busy</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lord_Morzahn/pseuds/Lord_Morzahn'>Lord_Morzahn</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Fictober 2020 [9]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Wayhaven Chronicles (Interactive Fiction)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alcohol, F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 16:40:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>593</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28490112</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lord_Morzahn/pseuds/Lord_Morzahn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The Detective gets a hand in avoiding his ex at the bar. (Fictober 2020, Prompt 15)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Male Detective/Ava du Mortain</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Fictober 2020 [9]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2081712</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Hands Busy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Not interested, thank you." I say, trying to get past him only for him to step in my path again. I'm officially annoyed, my grip on the glasses tightening.</p><p>"Come on now, handsome." Bobby smiles, and I'm reminded of the charm that first dragged me into his orbit all those years ago.</p><p>It makes me want to puke now, looking at him. "I've been more than polite to you, Bobby Marks. Now step off before I get Tina to come deal with you."</p><p>"Aw, too scared to handle me by yourself?" He purrs, and I'm glad my hands are occupied or else I'd have pepper sprayed him by now...or at least decked him.</p><p>I don't get the chance to try and argue further with him as a figure slides up behind him and pushes past, sending him stumbling back a bit.</p><p>"There you are. I thought you might need a hand." Ava says, raising an eyebrow. "Come, the others are waiting."</p><p>She's ignored Bobby completely and that alone has ticked him off. Before I know what she's doing, she slides an arm around me, steering me away and back to the others.</p><p>Her hand feels warm against the middle of my lower back, and I can feel the heat spreading up my neck to my ears.</p><p>I expect her to drop her arm as soon as we're turned away from Bobby, but she keeps it there, a firm pressure through the leather of my jacket. The hand only drops when I'm forced to slide into the booth before her, and immediately after she slips in closer than normal. Tenser than normal.</p><p>I try to ignore my heartbeat as it picks up the pace at the sudden displays of physical touch and proximity. I'm certain the other unit members have noticed, but Felix is the only one who gives it away, staring at us with starry eyes.</p><p>I put the drinks down, sliding one to Mason and the other to Tina. "Enjoy."</p><p>"What did Marks want?" She asks, twirling the straw.</p><p>"Same shit he always wants." I groan, wishing I'd gotten a drink myself but now not willing to go back to the bar anytime soon. "To further his career at the cost of my emotional wellbeing. And to tap me one more time."</p><p>I can feel Ava stiffen beside me, coiling up slowly like a big cat, or a python. "Not happening if we were the last people on earth, of course. To either." I say.</p><p>Normal chatter resumes after that, but Ava hardly relaxes. When I sneak a glance over at her, she's immersed in watching the comings and goings of the other bar patrons. Not a lot, for Wayhaven, but a Saturday night is pretty packed.</p><p>Her eyes flash dangerously whenever they land on Bobby, who's settled at a barstool just within her range of sight. Her fists sit in her lap.</p><p>It takes me a moment to work up the courage to reach out and touch her hand. She stiffens again in shock as I trail my fingers down her wrist, letting my hand lie on top of her closed fist.</p><p>When I stop there, we both wait a few seconds before she slowly opens her hand, allowing our fingers to intertwine.</p><p>We stay like that for the rest of the night until it's time to get up and go, our hands resting on her leg under the table. When she does let go, the memory of the warmth of her hand stays with me all the way home.</p>
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